100 Words Left to Say
by mistymay951
Summary: 100 words, 100 unrelated drabbles, each one between 100 and 200 words. And maybe life was never meant to be fair because it sure as hell wasn't the way any of them expected it to be, but the key, perhaps, is finding glimpses of perfection within the chaos. Rated T for language and implied sex.
1. Chapter 1

**100 Words Challenge**

100 words, 100 unrelated drabbles, each one between 100 and 200 words. Enjoy!

**1. Introduction**

"_You're the Avatar, and I'm an idiot."_

And maybe, he thinks, as he pulls her into his chest and soothes away the nightmares that seize her body and leave her a slave to the night, that's all they'll ever be because she belongs to the world, and he's a fool for the way her hair halos around her head on lazy Sunday mornings, but no matter how desperately he wants those sunrises to last, to hold her until the world folds away like autumn, he knows she will always have to leave him eventually for one Avatar duty or another, and it's not fair for him or the world to expect so much from somebody who is just as human as they'll ever be. But he wants her all to himself. It's selfish, but he's never been that good at sharing.

And some days he wonders if life would have been so much simpler if they'd never met.

**2. Complicated**

She's not sure how she ends stumbling through his apartment door, clothes falling off her body in piles as he bends her over the counter and the walls shake and everything is wrong and right and she's never felt so alive as Tahno's hands claim and his mouth marks and every argument she has against this moment is diluted into incoherent gasps because she needs this. She needs to forget that the world is balancing so precariously on her shoulders, and no matter how hard she tries she can never please everyone. She needs to forget that Mako will never love her, that so many people just want her dead; she just needs to forget.

And it's not fair because all she's ever wanted was to be happy, but in a world so twisted, happiness will only ever be temporary, at least for someone like her, so she takes what she can get in the form of a greasy waterbenders and mumbled promises and fire whiskey that bubbles so dangerously in the pit of her stomach. Because all that's ever been sure to her is the sound of rain and that life just isn't fair.

"It's complicated, right _Uhvatar?_"

**3. Making History**

"You, Avatar, are merely the an example; you are here to show the bending population what will become of them if they foolishly try to fight back because in the long run, I am the solution and this has always been my city for the taking," he snickers, grabbing her face and forcing her to look him in the eyes.

And then the blood splatters the wall as the dagger slashes her pretty little throat, and her body falls limp to the floor, and he's almost disappointed because he expected more of a fight from her, she was always far too fiery. Maybe it was unwise of him to kill her parents first. And the airbenders. And those streetrat brothers. Because he's always thought their final showdown would be one of epic proportions, but then again, she was weaker than he had originally thought.

_A shame, _he thinks,_ that the last Avatar in history be remembered as the most cowardly. Just a shame._

**4. Rivalry**

He hears her scream from somewhere in the distance, pained and weak and everything he's never been able to associate with the Avatar, _his Avatar, _ and before Mako has time to process why this could be a fucking terrible idea, he's running, running, running as fast as his feet will take him towards the sound of her ever fading voice. He's so focused on finding her, he doesn't even acknowledge the obstacle standing in his way until he's colliding headfirst with Tahno, the ex-probending star. They eye each other harshly for half a second, and Mako can feel the curses boiling in the back at his throat because_ do you think this is some fucking joke_, but then he hears her scream again this time desperately, brokenly.

"Truce?" Tahno growls as he pulls himself off the ground and offers a hand to his rival, and then they're running side-by-side because they both owe her their lives ten times over, and really, what would this world do without her?

_Shatter._

**5. Unbreakable**

Chief Lin Bei Fong had always taken pride in her independence, in her ability to function, no thrive, without others breathing down her shoulder, but she'll never forget the night Amon humbled her, the night he blinded her and made her a martyr for the city see. She'll never forget the rain and the wind, and the way he threw her so abrasively back into the world like ending her connection to the Earth was nothing, like she as a whole was insignificant. And it's almost pathetic to think that it was that easy for him to do, and really, when she sees Tenzin's family tied up on a stage for the world to see, like animals ready for slaughter, was it all for nothing?

But then Korra saves the world, like she was always born to do, and her bending is returned and that passion she feels for her element is only intensified by its momentary hiatus, and she realizes in a wave of spontaneous self-appreciation that maybe, just maybe, if she can handle all that, she was always meant to be unbreakable.

**6. Obsession**

It's not an obsession, really, Zaheer manages to convince himself. He was in no way obsessed with capturing the Avatar, but he was, admittedly, obsessed with Fate, and Fate, although known to be a fickle mistress, would not have given him the ability to airbend if She didn't believe his intentions were noble. And the whole thing is almost humorous he thinks, as he ties and gags the precious Avatar, because she, ultimately, created the new era that will destroy her.

"You've heard of Fate, haven't you, Korra?" he whispers, even though there's no need for quiet in the soundproof room, even though he knows she won't answer back, "Well I truly believe this is yours." And maybe, just maybe, he's a tiny bit obsessed with the absolute terror in her eyes the moment before he shuts off the light and leaves her alone in the dark.

**7. Eternity**

"_I'll always love you."_

And even as she holds his broken body, blood pooling around them and staining her clothes redder than the color of the scarf he _used_ to wear, it still rings true because she's the Avatar and he's an idiot, and how the hell could she have let this happen to him because you don't just let people you love die like that, die so brutally and so terribly, not when they have so much more of their life to live, not when all you ever wanted for them was all the happiness in the world.

"Please, Mako, please! Just wake up, you'll be fine you just have to open your eyes, and then-," her voice falters as she tries again to shake him awake, her fingers digging violently, desperately into his shoulders, "And then I'll heal you, and you'll be like new again, and goddamn it just wake the hell up!"

_He doesn't._

**8. Gateway**

More days than not, she regrets keeping the portal open because, in all honesty, life in general would be so much easier without the weight of a new era looming so eerily over her shoulder, threatening to consume the semblance of sanity the entire ordeal had left her with, and nobody really seems to understand that everything she does, she does because she believes it's best, but unfortunately life just isn't that simple, and it turns out neither is politics.

"You can't just expect everything to go back to normal in a day," she growls, her voice cracking in barely restrained anger as she points one accusing finger at President Raiko because even though this is her doing, he hasn't done anything to make this easier on her or the city.

And when he smirks she's reminded of a similar scene not so long ago, the scene where Councilman Tarrlok licked his lips and reminded her she's half-baked and she watched the city fall to his cruel hands.

"_It's just politics, Darling."_

**9. Death**

"It doesn't even hurt,' Bolin groans, holding his wounded stomach weakly as her tries to convince himself just that, but he's lying and Asami knows it because the blood is starting to soak past his hands and there's still chunks of smoldering rock buried in his flesh, and she's not sure what to say because for some dumb reason, Bolin's always seemed untouchable, like he was better than the horrors of the world, like he was infinite.

"_Bo…"_

"I'm fine, see," he says, grimacing as he attempts to pull himself aimlessly to his feet, but gravity is so heavy and the world seems to be shattering and before he knows it, his head is banging against the concrete and the black is lurking so dangerously in the corners of his vision as Asami rushes forward, hands cupped delicately behind his head.

She strokes his hair as his eyes lull and his grip on his stomach loosens and the world grieves.

**10. Opportunities**

"Well if it isn't the _Uhvatar_," he coos, pulling a seat up next to her at the bar, and maybe, if he had any decency at all, he would realize that there was a reason she had chosen this corner to drown her problems in hard liquor, and if she wasn't so wasted, she would have happily kicked his chair away and told him to fuck off, but she's been too far gone for far too long, and something about the saxophone humming melodically in the background dilutes her usually fiery nerves.

And who is he to pass up an opportunity like a mellow Avatar, so he leans into her neck and whispers something about how loud this place is, letting his lips linger for a second as he tests these new drunken boundaries. It's a shame that she barely bats an eyelash as he wraps his arm around her hip and leads her out of the bar and into the night. It's an even greater shame when she wakes up naked in his apartment with nothing but a sticky gnawing shame in the pit of her stomach as an indication to their affair.

_Really, it's all a damn shame._

**11. 33%**

"I still can't believe we won," she laughs, her smile beaming up at Mako because this, for her, has always been a matter of pride, and she's so fucking proud to be a part of the fabulous fire ferrets, Probending Champions! And he smiles right back at her, the most genuine she's ever seen him look as he crosses the room in two giant strides and engulfs her in a hug that throws her completely off guard.

"Thank you," he whispers as he releases her and hands her a small white envelope, her portion of the winnings, 33% . She doesn't even hesitate to shove it right back in his hands.

"It's yours," she says simply before turning away from him, and really maybe their relationship was only ever meant to be as simple as that and he doesn't question it nor does he waste his time on a thank you she doesn't want to hear because this is not pity, not in the slightest, this is just Korra; it's what she does.

**12. Dead Wrong**

_Half-baked Avatar_

"You were wrong about me, Tarrlok," she smirks, her mouth contorting itself into something of a grimace as the earth around him shakes and the fountain freezes and the flames lick his feet, "I'm stronger than you could ever wish to be."

That's when he notices it, the wind whipping around her, encircling her in gusts as her hair lifts halos violently around the crown of her skull, and in this moment she is stronger than she's ever been before, and all she can seem to think about is the way he locked her up, the way he bloodbent her and took advantage of her and told her that nobody would ever find their precious Avatar.

And he deserves to be blown away, to bruise and burn and freeze.

He deserves to scream.

**13. Running Away**

She's done a lot of hard things in her life, fought a lot of hard battles that most people will have the luxury of never understanding, but she has never had to do anything quite as hard as letting him go.

She leaves in the dead of the night, nothing more than a whisper of darkness shrouded by crepuscular beauty, her bags slung wistfully over her hunched shoulders because she really loves him, more than she'd ever admit. But Amon has taken it upon himself to destroy that luxury, because loving, and being loved, is now nothing more than a liability.

She leaves him a handwritten note, her manuscript choppy and imperfect, ugly and beautiful all at the same time, signed with a tear drop that smudges the ink on the edges of her heart.

_It's over. I'm done, for real this time. You never had a chance._

She wanted to tell the truth, to tell him that if loving him was taboo, then love may not be worth it at all. It was for his good, she wants to say, that at least without her he would be safe, alive, and, even if she doesn't want to think it, far happier than he could ever be with her, but instead she makes it sting, makes it hurt, because she doesn't want him chasing after her, not now, not ever.

It's better this way, she somehow manages to convince herself as the sun appears on the horizon and she officially disappears.

_At least for now._

**14. Judgment**

"I'm sorry about your mother," Korra says to Asami, and even though an apology won't fix anything at all, it's a start, a start of the many apologies that are to come because she's so sorry about everything, about her dad, and her company, and the way she accused the heiress of being an equalist and practically tore apart what little family she had left.

_But most of all, I'm sorry for judging you, for assuming that just because you're rich and beautiful, you would live a life of perfection because trust me, people assume things about me all the time, and it's not fair to you, not in the slightest._

_Because you're stronger than I can ever hope to be, Miss Sato._

**15. Seeking Solace**

Korra seeks solace in his bedroom, curled into his chest listening closely to the sound of the boats in Yue Bay and even more closely to the sound of his steady heartbeat, fascinated by the way he looks so open when he sleeps, like those walls he tries so desperately to keep erected during the day have fallen, like his world is bigger than three people and the opportunities for the future are endless because in his dreams, he is not defined by his past, none of them are. She wonders if she looks the same when she sleeps, do the demons that chase her in her dreams claim her peaceful facade, or does her mouth go slack, does her body relax so beautifully into the plush world that surrounds her.

She knows the answer when she wakes up hours later, Mako's eyes glued softly to her because _you look so peaceful when you sleep, Korra._

"_Only when I'm with you."_

**16. Excuses**

It's her fault really. Her fault for dropping into his life like a ripe apple and throwing off his center of gravity.

_All her fault._

Mako had never asked for her help; Bo did, of course, but he never would-never could. He hates the way she looks at him, hates that the line between pity and friendship seems to be so blurred, hates that she's the avatar and he's an equalist. He hates her, and that's that. She couldn't even begin to understand his life, nor could she ever comprehend his decisions. Those decisions he made, even the ones he has come to regret, were merely a part of his will to survive, to keep his little brother alive and safe. How could she even begin to empathize with that? Her life was one of luxury, or so he assumes, and he's well aware that a princess will seldom see eye-to-eye with a peasant.

_That's why he has to kill her._

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in releasing anything LOK related; I think I just needed some inspiration so I figured I'd start off with the hundred word lists and see where it goes. If you're interested in me perhaps making a longer one shot with any of these, feel free to leave a comment, and I'd be more than happy to consider. More to come soon!


	2. Chapter 2

**17. Vengeance**

She didn't plan for the night to end this way, didn't plan to have any more blood staining her hands, not that it really matters after the things she's seen, the things she's done, but still, it is neither her job nor her place to deal out death, but then Zaheer drops Mako and Bolins' bodies at her feet, broken and crooked against the bleeding sky, and all she can seem to do is stare blankly, not quite sure what to say, what to do, because they are the closest things to friends she could ever hope to have, and in a world so lonely and cruel, friends are the most precious things one can find, and as she falls to her knees and grabs the cold faces between her palms and physically feels the absence of life within them, she can't help the guttural moan that shakes her chest as her eyes burns and her fingers shake and everything is dyed red, red, _red_…

And he pays in blood, because even though an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, she really didn't want to see a world without the bending brothers in it anyway.

**18. Love**

It leaves a bitter taste in Korra's mouth, his touch, his lips, the way his fingers thread so intimately her hair and drag her down because she's not used to drowning in the color amber, and no matter how hard she tries to be brave, she's afraid that maybe the world needs her too much, and she's just not meant to be loved because, like the moon, she belongs to everybody and nobody all at once and promising herself to _anybody_ just wouldn't be fair.

_Not to her or to him or to the world._

But then he spreads his hand across her heart and whispers something sweet and meaningless and beautiful into her all too yearning ears, and she knows then that she's just too far gone.

So she makes the mistake of letting herself be completely consumed by the feeling, as she sinks and sinks and sinks until the surface is just too far away.

_It turns out rock bottom was closer than she had thought._

**19. Tears**

The world does not cry for the death of another street rat, they don't even bat an eyelash for the loss of such a precious life because at the end of the day, Mako, much like his parents, becomes just another fourth page news story because people die every single fucking day. And it's sad to think that nobody really cares to grieve for such things anymore because they are all too preoccupied blindly seek cheap pleasures.

So no, the world does not cry, but the Avatar does, and maybe that means even more.

Because tears never came that easy to her, but spirits does it hurt to lose him, and no matter how much she wills the sadness, the harsh realization that his arms are rotting and his eyes are dull and his heart has stopped just keeps pulling her under, so she grits her teeth and sobs away the what ifs, until all that remains are salty trails across her cheeks and bitterness in the back of her throat.

_And then she moves on._

**20. My Inspiration**

She is a household name, unsurprisingly. After all, she is the Avatar and therefore expected to save the world ten times over, and it's nice at first, nice to feel needed, like maybe she means something to the universe. It takes her a while to figure out how the real world works, figure out that she can never, ever, please everybody, no matter how desperately she tries, and it's hard for her to deal because some days the responsibility of the world weighs so heavily on her shoulders that she can physically feel it breaking her back, the overwhelming expectations heavier than the boulders she bends.

But then a little earth nation girls runs up to her on the street and wraps her pudgy arms around the Avatar's leg and thanks her genuinely and beautifully as only children are able to because, _you saved the world, Korra._

And it's all worth it.

**21. Never Again**

The naïve never realize just how naive they are, because how the hell are the blind supposed to see true colors, that is until the world comes crashing down around them, and suddenly, everything that seemed so wonderful, so perfect, is razed and burned, and they're left with the smoldering knowledge of their own stupidity.

Asami Sato realizes too late her mistake, realizes that trusting her father, that following and fighting so blindly for someone who lacked even the decency for honesty, was nothing more than a reckless miscalculation because now he's gone and she's left to pick up the pieces of his, _her_, mistake. But she's smarter now, you see, and she'll never again let the world use her so cruelly, but still it stings a bit to think she was that easy to fool.

_Because I would have followed you to the ends of the Earth._

**22. Online**

"I don't know what to do Asami!" Korra moans, banging her head dramatically against the cold linoleum of the cafeteria table, "He just won't stop texting me and calling me and stalking my twitter, like I don't get it, we went out on one date, so-"

"You know how Noatak is; why don't you just give the poor kid another chance?" Asami says almost disinterestedly between bites of her sandwich because everybody knows that Noatak has a thing for Korra who has a thing for Mako who has a thing for Asami.

_Sheesh… high school._

Korra sighs, picking the pepperoni off her pizza, and really Asami's right, the kid deserves a chance, but something in her gut twists at the idea at being alone with him once again, so she does what she's taken to doing when it comes to problems like this; she ignores him.

A month later Noatak shows up on the front page of the newspaper.

_Boy Murders 3 Classmates, Claims Equality, Investigation Underway_

**23. Failure**

That's when her plan goes horribly wrong and instead of having the element of surprise, Amon's ready for her, waiting patiently with a smirk on his face, and instead of her slitting his throat and ending the battle, he ties her to the bed frame and reminds her that he is stronger and no matter how hard she tries he will always own the city, own her.

She doesn't remember much after that, after the pain and muffled grunts and the feeling of his hands pushing down possessively against her throat, but she does remember him whispering into her ear that he's going to kill those little scum teammates of hers first. She feels the fear, bubbling in the pit of her stomach and bringing up a sour taste in her mouth; she closes her eyes, but he just keeps going, his gaze boring into his eyelids with profound intensity as he explains, in gruesome detail, the way he's going to defile them, the ways he's going to make them regret ever being born.

_Because you've failed Avatar._

**24. Rebirth**

"This is what I have to do, Tenzin," she whispers, her face stiff, emotionless,afraid to break any more than she already has.

Because she cannot be the Avatar without bending, and it would be a mockery of the position to pretend like nothing will change now that Amon had so brutally robbed her. That's why this is the only option, that's why she has to kill herself, only then will the cycle reset and the world have a proper Avatar, and even though she's terrified, the universe deserves better than a half-baked Avatar who still, despite months of intensive training, has absolutely no connection to the spiritual world.

Her parents cry when she tells them, Asami understands, Mako screams because even though the world wants absolutely nothing to do with a bendingless Avatar, he loves her with or without her connection to the elements, and all he's ever wanted was for her to be happy, so _tell me, Korra,_ _how can you be so fucking selfish._

It stings, but she knows he doesn't mean it, she knows he's just angry, at her, at the way things never seems to go exactly as planned, and more than anything, she knows that his life will go on without her, and even though it's a selfish comfort, she clings onto that hope even as she takes her last breath, and everything fades to black.

**25. Breaking**

"I am sane," Zaheer whispers to himself in the quiet of the night, repeating it like a mantra because some days he is not so sure, and no matter how hard he tries, he can't seem to shake the thought of the Avatar. She lurks in his dreams, so close yet so far, like a snowflake dancing to the ground, elusive and deceptive and always an arm's length away, and it drives him crazy to think he was so close to possessing her, so damn close.

And that's when the insomnia overtakes him, and he rises like a shadow, lurking subconsciously towards the surrounding forest, careful not to wake the rest of the group because they're already suspicious, and the last thing he needs is them thinking he's gone crazy.

_Because he hasn't. If only the damn Avatar would get out of his head._

**26. Forever and a day**

She remembers finding Naga like it was yesterday; she had snuck her way out of the compound and had made her way an hour North before she started losing feeling in her fingers and toes; she remembers, vaguely, how dumb she was for thinking that forgetting her Avatar duties would be as easy as running away because now she knows it will never be that simple. After an hour and a half, her pudgy limbs failed her, and her legs gave out and she fell face first into the snow, wind whipping the fur of her collar, and it was a cold she'd never felt before, numbing and scary because no matter how hard she tried, the black crawling in the corners of her vision just wouldn't let her get up.

But then something bit at her collar and pulled her into a nearby cave, dropping her hood and wrapping it's body around hers, giving her it's body heat. She doesn't quite remember how long she sat there, surrounded by the kindness of a stranger, but eventually, her limbs warmed up enough that she could pull herself lamely to her feet to face her savior. A polar bear dog barely bigger than her stood across from her, head tilted and eye's wide, and from that moment on, the two were inseparable.

_I'll love you forever, Naga._

**27. Lost and Found**

She ran, not because she's afraid of Zaheer or his gang of criminals, not even because she wishes to escape her inevitable capture, she ran because she was putting her friends in danger and _it's me you want, so leave them alone._ And even though they don't realize it at the time, everything she's ever done, she did with them in mind_ Bolin, Asami, Mako…_ And she'd rather be alone if that meanr protecting them.

_She leaves them a note signed with a teardrop._

_It's better this way._

But somehow they manage to find her, slouched in a cave somewhere near the outskirts of Omashu, and she's confused at first because don't they understand that she is nothing if not a liability to them all, but still they embrace her like family and tell her that if she ever tries to run like that again, they'll tie her down because they understand the risk, they always have, and_ for Spirit's sake, Korra,_ _how in the world could you think we would let you do this alone._

28. Light

She doesn't talk about Raava much, not after the night her Uncle tried to kill her, but every once in a while, Make swears he can see the light inside her stirring, can feel the way her energy surges and the air seems to dance like raindrops around her, and he wants to ask, _what does light feel like, Korr? Does it tickle you from the inside, like a feather fluttering around you stomach, brushing against the most sensitive parts of you, or does it burn the tips of your finger like electricity begging to be free of its constraints, to be shown like a prize to the world. Does it hurt, sometimes? Does it feel like you can you cup it in your hands and watch as it lights up my world?_

_Are you scared?_

**29. Dark**

Zaheer's words keep her up at night because maybe it makes more sense to her than she cares to admit, and it scares her to think that there was a part of her that wished the Queen was six feet below the ground because the people of Ba Sing Se deserve so much more than that, and even though she hasn't seen anything else like it, she's no fool, she's aware oppression has always and will always hang like a blanket over the entire world.

_And even though she is an advocate for peace and understanding, something inside her wishes she would have slit President Raiko's throat when she had the chance._

_And what if she's playing for the wrong side?_

**30. Faith**

Tenzin tells her to meditate on in, to think long and hard about her past lives and maybe, just maybe, she'll remember, and everything she used to think she knew would break like a dam, flooding her with what was forgotten, and she will be whole again. _Please Korra,_ because even though Tenzin doesn't say it, he feels that her lost a piece of his father when Unalaq destroyed her past so viciously, and she can't help but feel responsible. But no matter how hard she tries to remember, to call back her lives like they are a loyal pet, nothing seems to work, and some nights, she questions everything she's been taught about the omnipotence of the spirits.

_Because they sure as hell have no miracles up their sleeves._

**31. Colors**

She's no stranger to bruises, to the way the skin puckers and stretches tight over too much flesh, because after a few months of probending training, her skin is littered with beautiful little patches of imperfection, marks that say '_I did something, I am someone'_ and it's nice in a way and, admittedly, she learns to love them. That is until Tahno hits her square in the stomach with a sloppy chunk of rocky water and the breath is completely knocked out of her as she's flung back one, two, three zones, falling ungracefully into the water below

Later, after the match has been won and revenge has been had, Mako can see the hurt in her eyes, the way they scrunch up in discomfort, but she's far too proud to admit to pain, that is until he takes matters into his own hands and gently lifts up her undershirt to see the black and blue of her stomach, the way the corners have rusted to a putrid yellow, and if it feels even half as bad as it looks, he's sure her head is spinning.

_Those bastards will pay, _he decides.

**32. Exploration**

"Come on, Mako! Pema told me to go out and have a good time," she pleads with him, and damn her for having those ocean blue eyes because, admittedly, they could convince him of almost anything.

"I don't think vandalizing the local park was her particular idea of a 'good time'," he huffs, looking up at the sky to avoid having to look at her, "Plus, I'm a cop; I could lose my job for something like this."

And really he should have known she was up to no good when she showed up at his apartment looking for Bolin armed with two cans of spray paint and three dozen eggs, but Bolin wasn't home, so she grabbed his arm instead and dragged him down the stairs in a way that promised a good time, and he probably should have stopped her then because, really, she has no right to drag him anywhere, nor does he have an obligation to follow, but the night was young, and so were they.

_Don't worry, it'll be fun, City Boy._

**A/N: **Here you go! As always, reviews are super helpful, and just let me know if you'd like to possibly see any of these turned into full blown one-shots! Stay fabulous, my friends!


End file.
